1. Field
This disclosure generally relates to digital image processing.
2. Background Art
Recent advances in computer networking and image processing have led to widespread availability of street-level, aerial, and satellite imagery on the World Wide Web. Much of this imagery is systematically gathered through large-scale efforts making a wealth of high quality digital imagery accessible to users of desktop as well as mobile computing devices.
Currently, a number of online map systems provide digital imagery that complements and is integrated with detailed map information. Some systems provide imagery that changes scale and resolution as a user requests scale and resolution changes of the corresponding map. Often, digital imagery is provided with metadata including annotations designating points of interest such as businesses, landmarks, streets, etc. Images can also be provided with other information of interest such advertisements, distances, and directions.
Some of the imagery provided to end users is in the form of panoramas. Panoramas are generated by computationally “stitching together” digital images from collections of images. The process of acquiring panoramic imagery, stitching it together to make panoramic images, and providing markers to enhance map data, is expensive and time consuming. Systems are therefore only updated periodically. As a result, imagery containing metadata markers tends to become quickly outdated as objects in the environment change with time (e.g., due to construction, business relocations, etc.). Metadata includes any information that may be associated with an image such as markers indicating businesses, landmarks, and other points of interest.
Some map systems provide a partial solution to this problem by allowing users to upload recent images to replace parts of the panoramic imagery that are outdated. Unfortunately, however, newly uploaded images generally do not contain the markers and other metadata of the existing panoramic imagery.